Eclectic

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Posts by Eclectic

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  24

  Is The Governing Body Of Jehovah's Witnesses In Agony?

  by metatron in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  with every passing magazine and assembly, i ask myself, why?.

  why does the governing body care?

  the diatribes against college, against the internet and i-phones and vampire movies and afterschool sports and social networks and everything new, interesting or useful in the world, why?

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  Eclectic

  I agree. It's totally over, in my opinion. It's emotional, 100% true. Impossible discussing a doctrinal matter with the elders. They always finish with the same statement: maybe you are right, but after all, it is the only true religion on earth today. Impossible fighting against that assumption based on feelings. As Ray Franz said and now I see it's true, we (I am included) are captives of a concept: the organization, our mother.
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  24

  Fury after reading Watchtower article for this week

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i hope i do not repeat thread.

  paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:.

  paul set a fine example for christian elders.

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  Eclectic

  @zeroday

  That's not the point. We are not discussing if they sacrifice this or that or if it is expensive or not to maintain them. Simply, they DO NOT follow Paul's exemple about being economically INDEPENDENT. A non-independent person is a burden on the state, family, society or whatever, even if it is light or heavy. Paul accomplished his duty visiting the congregations and managed to work at the same time, why aren't they able to do so? That's because I think that paragraph is not sincere.
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  24

  Fury after reading Watchtower article for this week

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i hope i do not repeat thread.

  paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:.

  paul set a fine example for christian elders.

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  Eclectic

  @ Chariklo

  I never said they are not lovely, nice and spiritual. Many people are, maybe including the Pope. My point is they DO NOT follow Paul's example concerning not being an economic burden on others, specially fellow christians. Are you a baptized member of JWs? Then ask your elders how much cost every visit (meals, gas, transport, car rental...) and who pays it. For me, they are not a burden at all, because I do not put money into the contribution boxes, but it means others must pay for me. If I am not wrong (please correct me) every publisher must pay (in a certain european country) 4€ per year for their rental cars. It was voted in every congregation, but we all know how votations are, by a show of hands. So YES will always win. Every JW know that, and I am amazed how this paragraph can state they are an exemple about not being a burden.
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  24

  Fury after reading Watchtower article for this week

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i hope i do not repeat thread.

  paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:.

  paul set a fine example for christian elders.

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  Eclectic

  @cameo-d

  That's interesting. Are you quoting Bart Ehrman? Could you tell me the reference? The WT portrays him making tents, like camping tents. You are refering to tallit (jewish prayer shawl) if I am not wrong. And it is Paul who banned using head-covering for praying in 1 Corinthians 11:4 ( Every man that prays or prophesies having something on his head shames his head;) and 11:7 ( For a man ought not to have his head covered, as he is God’s image and glory; but the woman is man’s glory.).
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  24

  Fury after reading Watchtower article for this week

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i hope i do not repeat thread.

  paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:.

  paul set a fine example for christian elders.

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  Eclectic

  @Chariklo

  I appreciate your comment. I agree with you, elders are generally good people and act the best they can. I also realized that around me. However, that paragraph discusses about elders (including CO) being a burden (economic). Paul worked because he didn't want to be a burden on first-century christians. I think, maybe you can tell me if I am wrong, COs are actually a burden, because all their fees are paid (by society which is maintained by proclaimers, at least we are told so) and they do no extra job as Paul did. For instance, since several years proclaimers pay their cars. Do you understand the point I am stressing?
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  24

  Fury after reading Watchtower article for this week

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. bible

  i hope i do not repeat thread.

  paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:.

  paul set a fine example for christian elders.

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  Eclectic

  I hope I do not repeat thread. Paragraph 15, w2011 6/15 p. 23 states:

  Paul set a fine example for Christian elders. Though he was an apostle and could have been “an expensive burden” on Christians in Thessalonica, he did not “eat food from anyone free.” Rather, he ‘labored and toiled night and day.’ (2 Thess. 3:8) Many present-day elders, including those who are in the traveling work, set a fine example in this regard. Although they accept hospitality from fellow believers, they do not “put an expensive burden” upon anyone.—1 Thess. 2:9.

  I wonder when Circuit Overseers ceased to be a burden since proclaimers pay everything they need and at what company they work night and day not to eat for free. Note it is written "many [...] elders" and not "every [...] elder"...

  What do you think about it? Are elders or CO acting as Paul did?
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  33

  Do most JW's belive their own private version of the religon?

  by highdose in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  trying to work with jw's and their cd i notice that the harder i push their beliefs the more likely they are to hit back with some werid version of jw belives that exsists only in their own head.. its almost like they listen to the bs from the platform, run it through their head and then process it through their own filter and end up with a bastardised version of "the truth" that they feel comfortable with.. .

  anyone else encountered this?

  and whats your theory about it?.

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  Eclectic

  That's true. I feel there is a gap between official doctrine and popular religion among JWs. For instance, during private conversations I could discover that mostly 90% don't think toast is pagan today, or masturbation is spiritually harmful or it can lead to homosexuality. Among youngsters the gap is larger: university is viewed as normal (most attend college in my area), marriage is only the passport to sex (more and more people getting married after some months of dating), beards can be seen around, assemblies and conventions are runways, etc...

  Do you feel the same where you live?
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  7

  How Jehovah's Witnesses Meet their Match SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL article

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i hope i do not repeat topic.

  i just read this interesting article here:.

  http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,775520,00.html.

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  Eclectic

  Please, if you found your partner at an assembly, tell us how it was.

  I used to date someone I met in a post-assembly party (YES they exist and are hilarious).
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  7

  How Jehovah's Witnesses Meet their Match SPIEGEL INTERNATIONAL article

  by Eclectic in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i hope i do not repeat topic.

  i just read this interesting article here:.

  http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,775520,00.html.

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  Eclectic

  I hope I do not repeat topic. I just read this interesting article here:

  http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/0,1518,775520,00.html

  Highlights:

  "And since the family must expand, "many Witnesses naturally meet their future spouses here," says Uwe Langhals, another spokesman, who has been a Jehovah's Witness since he was 15."

  "There are passages explaining why nicotine is forbidden but a glass of wine at the end of the day permitted, why blood transfusions are to be avoided and why non-believers must be converted. At least, they claim that's what the Bible says."

  "Yet many of them are victims of this community, which promises paradise -- but for many, becomes a hell on earth. It's a community that presumes to have a say in who its young people marry."

  "Like many young Jehovah's Witnesses, Melanie has read a glossy pamphlet entitled "Questions Young People Ask: Answers That Work." It makes it clear that homosexuality is forbidden and masturbation demonized."

  "They are good girls and faithful Witnesses. They sit in the Westfalen Stadium and pray. And Wait. For Jehovah's kingdom. And a husband."

  Enjoy!
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  61

  How Many on JWNet are still JWs?

  by RayPublisher in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  i've been wondering about this for some time.

  if there are 60,000+ registered users on here, what percentage are actual non-dfed or non-daed witnesses?

  if it was 1/3, that would be over 20,000 active/inactive witnesses that post and read these pages- and that's huge.

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  Eclectic

  @mrsjones5: LOL It's an idiom I made up to describe myself. A JW who wants/needs to remain active (repporting) but is "disconnected" from many teachings and beliefs coming from the GB.